Austrian Traditions

We have heard about (and seen) many Austrian traditions from our tour guides and during our travels. Many of these involve how Austrians celebrate life and honor those who have passed. Which Austria traditions have you found to be most interesting and why?

    While touring the Austrian town of Hallstatt, our tour guide Anna brought us to the Beinhaus cemetery which rested upon a beautiful view of the lake and mountains. Anna explained that it's a tradition in Hallstatt to paint the skulls of deceased loved ones as a way to honor and remember them. Typically, the family of the deceased will paint their skull and place it in a crypt along with other skulls from those who once lived in Hallstatt. Although this tradition has occurred since the early 18th century, it's, unfortunately, becoming less popular as the last skull to be placed there was in the late 1990s. The paintings of each skull symbolize different things. An oak painting signifies glory, a painting of ivy symbolizes life, and paintings of roses represent love. I found this Austrian tradition to be very interesting because it's vastly different compared to how Americans honor those who have passed. In America, a majority of people would be uncomfortable painting the skull of their deceased loved ones. Throughout American culture, death is feared and therefore most people become uncomfortable with the topic of death, especially regarding their loved ones. Although I sincerely appreciate this Austrian tradition, I personally would be too uncomfortable to paint the skull of a loved one who has passed. I think that my upbringing in America has influenced me to be distressed by the concept of death as American movies and popular culture tend to demonize the subject.     Another Austrian tradition that I found to be interesting is the fact that Austrians love to celebrate life specifically by enjoying good food. In Austria, there is a heavy reliance on bratwurst stands, especially in major cities such as Vienna. While touring the city of Vienna, our tour guide Andrea stated that many Venetians rely on bratwurst stands throughout their day. Typically, Venetians will grab a bratwurst when they are too busy to go out for food or it is too late in the day to find food elsewhere. Andrea stated that bratwurst stands in Vienna are open late at night and are usually the cheapest meal that one is able to find in Austria. I found this tradition to be interesting because in America many people get their food depending on the price and time constraints as well. In the US, people will generally buy a meal that is fast and cheap due to their hectic schedules. There is an ironic similarity between a bratwurst in Vienna, Austria, and a hotdog in New York City. Both are cheap and readily available during most times of the day.

This picture was taken while touring the Beinhaus cemetery. Pictures were not allowed inside the crypt of the cemetery where the skulls were located as the prohibition of photos is to honor those who have passed. This is very different from American culture in which it's normal for people to take photos of loved one who have passed as they wish to honor them in that way. 

This photo was taken from Google and the proper citation is below. While on our way to explore the Haydn Museum during our independent research day, Erin, Becca, and I stopped at a bratwurst stand in the inner ring of Vienna. We decided to eat there because we wanted to save money and we thought it would be the fastest option as we had to get to the museum before it closed at 1:00 pm. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the bratwurst as we were in a rush and I finished it quickly because of how good it was.

Citation: "Bratwurst" by Holger Leue/Getty Images, https://www.businessinsider.com/german-chancellor-volkswagen-bashes-vegetarian-version-of-iconic-german-bratwurst-2021-8.